Countdown to Kickoff: Profile on Pittsburgh Steelers No. 34 DeAngelo Williams
The Countdown to Kickoff series continues on with a profile on Pittsburgh Steelers running back DeAngelo Williams.
There are exactly 34 days until the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers open up the 2016 NFL regular season with a Super Bowl rematch. In the meantime, we at NFL Spin Zone are going to profile a player each day as we countdown the days to kickoff.
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A few months ago, we began by previewing the rookie defensive end of the San Diego Chargers in Joey Bosa (No. 99). On Thursday, it was Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl fullback Mike Tolbert.
The No. 34 has a rich tradition in the NFL. Just look at the running back position alone. Only fellow Pro Football Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith has run for more yards than Chicago Bears No. 34 Walter Payton. Speaking of Canton legends, there’s also Earl Campbell and Thurman Thomas. You can also reference Bo Jackson, Herschel Walker and Ricky Williams.
Here we will focus on a player who owns the Carolina Panthers’ franchise record for career rushing yards but is now a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Running back De’Angelo Williams was the 27th overall pick in the 2006 NFL draft by the Panthers. In nine seasons with the club, he rolled up 6,846 yards rushing and 46 scores. Released by Carolina last offseason, he latched on with Mike Tomlin’s club and proved to be a timely pickup.
Talented Le’Veon Bell missed the first two games in 2015 due to a league suspension and eventually went down for the season with a knee injury. Williams responded last season with 907 yards and 11 scores on the ground, his best totals since 2009. He also caught a career-high 40 passes for an additional 367 yards.
The 33-year-old performer will be busy again this fall. Bell is facing another suspension and will miss the first four games of 2016. But that doesn’t matter when it comes to the veteran running back.
“There’s no difference for me whether (Bell is) here or not. I’ve always had to prepare that way,” said Williams to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. “Being the backup, as they call me, I have no pressure at all. “Everybody’s always going to have questions, and that’s what I love about it. It went from, ‘Can DeAngelo fill in the role?’ to, ‘How long can he hold up?’ to, ‘Can he keep doing it?’ There are always going to be questions — I know that. I’ll let my playing answer my questions.”
Bell is regarded as one of the best backs in the league but that doesn’t mean much when you’re not available. Williams’ rebirth of sorts in 2015 is good news for a Steelers’ team that has its sights set on big things this fall. But the experienced pro refuses to pass judgment on his younger teammate.
“So for people to be down or upset or things like that — knock that off, man,” said Williams to Fowler. “At the end of the day, he’s still going to be able to play football, and he learned from his mistakes. We’re not even sure in this case that he made a mistake. We don’t know the complete story.”
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There’s no mistaking what Williams did for the Steelers a year ago. We’ll soon find out if he’s up for another solid season.